Uncle Charlie's Dragons
by This is My Truth Tell Me Yours
Summary: James Sirius Potter has been complaining loudly about first years never getting in the house Quidditch teams. When flying lessons are announced, all the other kids come ask James for tips, but that kind of attention happens to annoy a certain Slytherin boy. When he threatens to beat up James, the young Potter needs some help, but it's not like he has a big brother, or is it?


**Disclaimer:** The ideas are mine, he characters belong to J.K.

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James Sirius Potter sat on the steps of the large marble staircase at Hogwarts Entrance Hall, surrounded by his dorm-mates. His tie was loose around his neck and the tails of his shirt lay untucked over his trousers. His sleeves had been rolled up and he kept running his fingers through his hair, messing them up to make it look like he'd just stepped out of a broom. There was a "juvenile coolness" about his state of disarray, that made him look a little older than the other first year boys around him. Not that any of them was thinking about that. They were too hypnotised by his words.

A few days earlier, all first years had spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room, stating that flying lessons would be starting that Monday. Ever since then, flying was all any of them could think of and there was much to talk about the forthcoming lessons. Ravenclaw lessons had started a week in advance and there were wild rumours that one of the girls was still recovering in the infirmary after a nasty fall from one of the castle's walls. Most of the students who were born in wizarding families claimed to have flown before, and less experienced colleagues hanged on to their every word, desperate for tips that would save them the embarrassment of falling off a broomstick in front of the entire class. It did not take long for James, who'd been complaining loudly about first years never getting in the house Quidditch teams from day one, to be besieged with requests from his colleagues, to describe his experiences flying. And that was exactly what he was doing right now.

"… then I felt a strong wind on my back and I realized there were two muggles in a hellicopter pointing at me!"

"Super!" Exclaimed one of the boys.

"What did you do?"

"Well, it was really difficult because the rotor blades were pulling me in, you see," James explained, rotating his index finger in the air to imitate the movement of the blades, "but I managed to get into a dive when we flew over a cliff, and the hiellicopter couldn't follow me down, so I pulled my broomstick up about four feet from the ground."

"You're not serious!"

"Am too! It was crazy dangerous, just another minute, and the helicopter's blades would have sliced me in half!"

The other boys seemed awed.

"The main thing about flying is that you have to be firm with your broomstick, you know?"he continued, "you have to show it who's the boss. I learned that playing Quidditch with my mum. She played for the Harpies, you know. Look this scar I've got right here is from a bludger."

"Firm?" One of the boys was confused, as the other ones gazed at the small scar on James' forearm, "Do we talk to the broomstick?"

"Well, not a lot-" James said, thinking for a moment. "But you know, you can't lower yourself to pick it up, otherwise it won't respect you, and then it won't fly at all! You have to order it to come to your hands, you know. You have to say 'up' and really mean it."

"Up," that same boy repeated slowly.

"Yes. And it doesn't just work for broomsticks either. When you're flying dragons, it's just as important to show them you're the one in charge."

"You have flown a dragon?" One of the boy's asked.

"Sure!"

"I don't believe that!" Another boy seemed skeptical.

"I did! My uncle Charlie works with dragons in Romania, and my family went to visit him last summer! He let me fly on the back of an Hungarian Horntail."

"Whoa," one of the boys whispered.

"How was it?"

"Well," James started, running his fingers through his hair again, "the most difficult part is finding something to hold on too without ripping off any scales..."

But before he could go on, James' story was interrupted by a mean laugh.

Ankaios Carrow was standing two steps above the small group of Gryffindors.

"Keep moving, Carrow," James said shrugging, and his dorm-mates laughed.

Ankaios kicked James in the back, with just enough strenght that boy would be forced to react.

When James stood up, Ankaios laughed again.

"Make me," the Slytherin provoked him.

The two boys stared at each other angrily. Ankaios was also a first year, but he was almost a head taller than James and much more bulkier. The two boys had had their first 'disagreement' at the Hogwarts Express, and ever since then they never missed a chance to make each other miserable, whenever they happened to meet across the corridors and staircases of the castle.

"What do you want Carrow? Have you finally realized that not even Slytherins want to be arround you and you came looking for friends? Got lonely, is that it?"

"I was simply looking forward to hearing some more of your lies, Potter."

"I am not lying."

"Oh really? Tell me what did that Horntail you were bragging about looked like?"

"It was big! And black," said James, and he must have realized he did a poor job at describing the dragon, because he added, "I don't have to explain anything to you, Carrow."

"Do you even know how to fly? Or can you usually fool these idiots with stories about your famous parents?"

"At least my family isn't locked up in jail in the middle of the North sea," James said, caustically.

The sneering expression disappeared from Ankaios face.

"Take that back!" The Slytherin demanded.

"No!" James said stubbornly, and when he turned to his mates to gloat, Ankaios hit him hard in the nose with a right cross.

James felt a little dizzy, but he wasn't about to let Carrow know how much he'd hurt him.

"So much for pure-blood superiority, right Carrow? What would you say of a wizard that can't even use his wand and has to fight using his fists- James said the next few words really slowly- like a muggle."

"What did you say?" Carrow asked, angrily.

"You heard me," James insisted, wiping some blood of his nose with his forearm.

Carrow pulled something out of his pocket. A small silver knife, the same type of knife they used to cut ingredients in Potions' class.

Then James pulled his wand and all color went missing from Carrow's face.

" _Expelliarmus!_ " The young Potter, shouted, but the silver knife merely flinched in Ankaios' hand.

"Ha! You missed, Potter, what are you going to do now?" the taller one laughed, and James stepped back.

There was a small crowd of people gathered arround the staircase, watching the fight now.

"You talk about flying so much," Carrow started, "how would you like to fly off this staircase now, Potter?" The boy asked, pushing James hard.

James tried to stand still, but the other one was a lot stronger than he was, so he lost his balance and had to hold the handrail for support.

Carrow pushed him again. and his back hit the wall of the staircase.

"Stop that!" James said firmly when his back was pushed again the stone wall of the staircase landing, trying to sound braver than he felt.

"Or what?" The other one asked, laughing out loud, spinning the silver knife between his fingers.

" _EXPELLIARMUS!_ " Someone yelled from the doors to the Great Hall, and this time, Carrow's knife flew away from his hand. He didn't even stop to look for the person who had disarmed him, Carrow simply lunged forward, trying to hit James with another punch.

But before his fists hit the target, an older student had climbed the stairs and placed himself in front of James. Teddy Lupin was much taller than the two first years, so the punch that had been aimed at James' face hit his chest instead, and he didn't even move. He pushed the Slytherin kid hard, shoving him against the wall, much like Carrow had done to James, a few minutes earlier.

The two boys studied each other for a moment. Lupin's colorful hair seemed to become short and spiked as they stared at one another, and an elaborate dragon tattoo appeared on his forearm.

"Who are you, his boyfriend?" Carrow asked, catching his breath.

Teddy pointed his wand at Carrow and in a flash, the Slytherin boy was dangling upside down in midair, as if invisible hands held him up by the ankle.

"As far as you are concerned," Teddy hesitated for a moment, looking up at the first year whose face had turned bright red, "I am his older brother. If you touch him again, you will have to answer to me."

"Let go off me!" Carrow yelled, trying to keep his cloak away from his face.

"Gladly," Teddy said, and with a gesture of his wand, the Slytherin boy fell, face first on the steps of the staircase.

"You okay?" Teddy asked, turning to face James, while Carrow picked up his books and straightened his school robes. Then he pointed his wand at James' face to drain the blood under his nose, "Tergeo."

James nodded, casting a look at Carrow on the ground, throwing his books back into his backpack.

"Come on, James, you'll be late for class," Teddy said, passing an arm around the younger boy's shoulders, hugging James from the side. James was ecstatic. The other Gryffindor boys followed. Many off them casted curious looks at the impressive tattoo on Teddy's forearm.

It was later that evening that James had a chance to talk to Teddy again. The older boy had been reading what looked like a rather worn out library book, sitting by himself at the Quad. His hair had lost the spiky quality it had taken earlier, and the tips of it had turned sky blue again. He lifted his head when he noticed someone stepping closer.

"Hi, James," he said, closing the old book and marking the page with his finger, "how was the flying lesson?"

"Easy," James shrugged. He really had been zooming around the house in a kid's broom ever since he was one year old, "wish I had my broom, though."

"Yeah," Teddy's voice faded away as he remembered the old school Silver Arrow in which he'd had his flying lessons during first year. It had not been too encouraging to look at the twings that stuck out at odd angles, or the fragile handle, that looked like it might come apart with his weight as soon as they lifted off.

"Where's the tattoo?" James asked, pulling Teddy away from his musings.

"Oh," Teddy looked at his forearm, then he smiled, making the dragon draw itself again on his skin, "do you like it?"

"Yeah," James smiled, wacthing as the final lines came together, giving shape to the dragon's tale. Little kids always had fun with Teddy's metamorphomagi skills.

"I've been practicing," he said simply, and it was a moment or two before any of them spoke again.

"Teddy, listen, about earlier today," James started, but before he could say anything else, Teddy interrupted him:

"Yeah, about that. I'm really sorry, James. I know I'm not really your brother, I just said what I thought would scare Carrow away."

Teddy blushed slightly, and the tips of his hair turned pink for a moment. He'd always thought of

his godfather's sons and nephews as part of his family, and he had every intention to look after them, but he had never said anything like that out loud. Certainly not in front of any of the family. Secretly, Teddy was terrified that if he spoke about those feelings out loud the family would shut him out, thinking he'd stepped over some sort of invisible line.

James however, didn't catch on any of that. In fact, he seemed puzzled when he spoke again.

"No, it, uh- I don't mind," he said slowly, "I mean, it's kind of like you are my brother, anyway, isn't it?"

"Uh- Yeah." Teddy said, after another second of hesitation.

"I mean, I just wanted to thank you. For- you know."

This time, a large smile appeared on Tedy's face.

"Don't worry," he said, punching James' shoulder lightly "I got your back, little bro."

The two of them laughed, timidly, for a while, and it was a few seconds before Teddy spoke again:

"So, did uncle Charlie really let you fly his dragons?"

"Yes!" James confirmed it, loudly, then he looked around to make sure there was no one listening and lowered his voice as he continued, "but just the baby ones."

The two of them laughed again.

"Which one did you fly?" James asked.

"The Antipodean Opaleye," Teddy answered.

"The big one? With pearly scales?"

"Yeah!"

"No way!"

"Way!"

"That's so cool! It was one of the most impressive ones."

"I know, it was beautiful," Teddy agreed, and before he could go on someone else interrupted him.

"Beautiful?" A female voice asked as three girls approached them in the Quad. Victoire, Dominique and Roxanne Weasley were giggling when they walked towards the two boys and unceremoniously invited themselves to join them.

"What's beautiful?" Dominique asked, placing a kiss in James' cheek. The boy blushed furiously, and for a moment he looked just like his mother. He was overjoyed with the arrival of the girls.

"Dominique," he protested, brushing his cheek with his hands, but the girl just smiled.

"What are you two talking about?" Roxanne asked quickly, before they even had the time to answer to the first question.

"Uncle Charlie's dragons," Teddy answered, patiently.

"Oh!" Victoire took a seat next to Teddy, she was wearing her Quidditch robes, for some reason "Uncle Charlie promised me I would get to fly the Hungarian Horntail next time we visit."

That statement was followed by a series of awed expressions from the other four. Victoire had smuggled a golden snitch from her last practice session, and James spend most of the time playing with the little ball as the others talked about their classes. They lost track of time in the Quad, and they would probably have remained there for several hours if professor Flitwick hadn't walked by. The tiny Charms master was astonished that they were out of bed and urged them all to go inside, under the threat of taking thirty points from Gryffindor if they didn't go back to the common room immediately.

"Thirty?" Victoire gasped.

"Thirty points each," said Professor Flitwitch, ushering them inside"unless you go upstairs immediately. Go, now, go."

And without another world, the five students ran upstairs to the Gryffindor Tower.

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 **A/N:** I wrote this for the **Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry Competition!, Year one: Flying (** Write a story about a first-year student who tells a story about them flying to their classmates.)

Prompts: **Word:** Super / **Era:** Next Generation / **Action:** Hug / **Day Of The Week:** Monday / **Spell:** Tergeo / **Item:** Knife / **Sentence:** Ha! You missed, Potter! What are you going to do now? / **Upper Word Limit:** 3000 / **Mood:** Overjoyed / **Emotion:** Ecstasy

I am combining this with the **Greek Mythology Mega Prompt Challenge (Uranus:** Write about flying)


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